In all fairness, not all manual dilation is abusive. I had extensive scarring from two LEEPs and several biopsies when I was pregnant with my youngest, #8. My longest pregnancy was 39+3, I always start dilating by about 35 weeks and my Osborn with #7 was 20 minutes. At my 38 week appointment I want even staying to dilate, and doc said we could schedule induction the following week (he doesn’t like to do them before then and prefers to wait until at least 41) or we could wait. I was afraid I’d hit pushing, still not be dilated and end up with a section. I agreed top the induction. Every step of the way, doc made suggestions and asked what I wanted. I did have a lot of things that I wouldn’t have chosen otherwise, but under the circumstances, nothing was done that I didn’t agree to. That said, I would definitely agree that without a very good medical reason AND full consent, it would be abusive.

What an arrogant, narcissistic jerk! Way to shoot down someone’s accomplishment too. Even if the OB did induce, it was the woman’s body that still had to do the work. I hate it when OBs take away all the credit for women’s achievements, like getting pregnant, dialating, and giving birth. It grinds my nerves when they say that they “delivered” a baby, when what they did was actually “attend” a birth or “assist” a woman in giving birth. When I hear the former, I have to resist the urge to say, “Oh, you mean you pushed that baby out of your OWN vagina?? How nice of you to do that for your patient!” Makes it all the more amusing when the OB is male. :) I can’t wait to see the pink link of this one.

Oh, and to add to that, OBs technically do “deliver” some babies. The ones they deliver via c-section. THOSE they can take credit for, since technically they do all the work of getting the baby out. Had to be fair, there. :)

Was it because she was coping with possible infertility? In that case, I find nothing wrong with the woman celebrating that her OB “got her pregnant”. To say that she should call the police is a bad joke–something that we’d rip apart if it was posted on here. Insensitive, wrong.

Where to start. This was said to me during my VBAC-TOL with my second child. I had gone to the hospital two days prior and was told I was in prodromal labor. I had gone to the hospital because my contractions were every 2-3 minutes lasting a minute long and my doula looked at me and said “we need to go now”. I was not dilated and they sent me home and said “come back when you can’t deal anymore”. I refused to go back, labor that night and the entire following day until I had my Chiropractor adjust me and that send me flying into labor. I had arrived exhausted but dilating. Got in the tub for awhile, it was amazing and allowed me to relax and dilate. Then they made me get out because they had to monitor, since I was a vbac and refused to let me go back to the tub. At that point I agreed to an epidural, which I knew would lead to pit. I was okay with this because I wanted my vbac! So I was laboring and dilating with the pit, the doctor comes in and checks me and I was 9cm (much further than I had made it with my first born. I was thrilled and said so, then she threw this gem out there. Insinuating that I would not be successful at pushing and would end up with another c-section. I am happy to say that after 65 hours of labor and 2.5 hours of pushing I got my VBAC! Another doctor (the one I love) was the one that actually delivered me and after he was born I said “Dr____ can suck it!” she laughed.

I’m unable to stop giggling at that one. I can actually envision this, and it’s priceless. :) I’m so happy you got what you and your baby needed, despite ol’ Debbie Downer trying to psych you out. You’re one determined woman and you deserve an in-person apology from Dr. ___.